This month your child’s teachers are carefully observing your child to assess for appropriate developmental milestones. Children develop at their own pace so the criteria we follow offers a broad age range for each milestone. Some children might reach a designated milestone at 7 months old. But others might reach it at 4 months or 10 months.
The characteristics that follow are simply basic guidelines to give you an idea of where your child may be.
Your 0-12 month old baby
ross Motor Skills
- Sits without support,
- crawls,
- pulls self to standing and stands unaided,
- walks with aid,
- rolls a ball in imitation of adult
Social And Play Skills
- Smiles spontaneously,
- responds differently to strangers and familiar persons,
- pays attention to own name,
- responds to “no”,
- copies simple actions of people
Pre Academic Skills
- Looks directly at adult’s face,
- tracks objects,
- imitates gestures (peek-a-boo),
- puts block in andtakes block out of box,
- finds block hidden under cup
Oral Language Skills
- Makes different vowel sounds,
- makes different consonant/vowel combinations,
- vocalizes to the person who has talked to him/her,
- uses intonation patterns that sound like phrases
Understanding Language
- Looks at people who talk to him/her,
- responds differently to variety of sounds: i.e. phone ringing or door bell or voices
Music/Art/Story Skills
- Fixes gaze on pictures in book Self-Help Skills Feeds self crackers; munching not sucking,
- holds cup with two hands but drinks with assistance,
- hold out arms and legs while being dressed
Fine Motor Skills
- Reaches and grasps and puts objects in mouth,
- picks things up with thumb and one finger,
- transfers object from one hand to another,
- drops and picks up toy
Your 12-24 month old baby
Gross Motor Skills
- Walks alone,
- walks backward,
- picks up object without falling,
- pulls toys, seats self in child’s chair,
- walks up and down stairs with aid
Social And Play Skills
- Recognizes self in mirror or picture,
- refers to self by name,
- plays be self and initiates own play,
- imitates adult behaviors in play,
- plays with water and sand,
- leads and carries and dumps,
- helps put things away
Pre Academic Skills
- Follows one direction involving familiar actions and objects (“Give me the ball.” Show me your nose”),
- completes 3-piece puzzle,
- matches similar objects
Oral Language Skills
- Asks for items by name, answers “What’s that?” with name of object,
- tells about objects or experiences with words used together (2-3 words)
Understanding Language
- Responds to specific words by showing what was named: toys and clothing,
- responds to simple directions given without gestures: go or sit or run or walk
Music/Art/Story Skills
- Moves to music,
- looks at pictures in book and points to or names objects or people,
- paints with whole arm movement by shifting hands and making strokes
Self-Help Skills
- Uses spoon and spills a little,
- drinks from cup with one hand and unassisted,
- chews food,
- removes garment,
- zips and unzips large zippers,
- indicates toilet needs
Fine Motor Skills
- Builds tower of 3 cubes,
- puts rings on a stick,
- places 5 pegs in a pegboard,
- turns pages
Your 2-3 year old
Gross Motor Skills
- Runs forward well,
- jumps in place,
- stands on one foot with aid,
- walks on tiptoe,
- kicks ball without direction,
- runs around obstacles
Social And Play Skills
- Plays near other children,
- watches other children play,
- defends own possessions,
- engages in domestic play,
- builds with blocks in simple lines
Pre Academic Skills
- Matches shapes,
- stacks 5 rings on peg in order,
- demonstrates number concepts to 2
Oral Language Skills
- Asks questions,
- Answers “Where is it?” with prepositional phrases “In the box”,
- Answers “What do you do with the ball?”,
- tells about something with functional sentences which carry meaning: “Me go store” or “Me hungry now.”
Understanding Language
- Responds to “put it on” and “put it in”,
- responds by selecting correct item: big vs. little objects and one vs. one more object,
- identifies objects by their use: e.g. stove to cook on and shoes to wear on feet
Music/Art/ Story Skills
- Participates in simple group activities example sings and dances and claps,
- chooses picture books,
- points to fine detail,
- enjoys repetition,
- paints with some wrist action,
- makes dots and lines and circular strokes,
- while playing with clay they will roll it and pound it and squeeze it and pull it
Self-Help Skills
- Uses spoon with no spilling,
- gets drink unassisted,
- opens doors by turning handle,
- put on/takes off coat,
- washes/dries hands with assistance, uses straw
Fine Motor Skills
- Strings 4 large beads,
- snips with scissors,
- holds crayons with thumb and fingers,
- uses one hand consistently in most activities,
- imitates circular and horizontal and vertical strokes,
- turns pages singly
Your 3-4 year old preschooler
Gross Motor Skills
- Walks on a line,
- balances on one foot,
- hops on one foot,
- pushes and pulls and steers wheeled toys,
- rides trike,
- uses slide with assistance,
- jumps over high objects,
- throws balls with direction,
- catches ball bounced to him
Social And Play Skills
- Joins in play with other children,
- begins to interact,
- shares toys and takes turns,
- begins dramatic play and acting out whole scenes (playing house)
Pre Academic Skills
- Matches 6 colors,
- makes tower of 5 blocks graduated in size,
- does 7-piece puzzle,
- counts to 5 imitation of adults,
- demonstrates number concepts to 3
Oral Language Skills
- Answers “Which one do you want?” by naming it,
- Answers if and what and when questions,
- Answers questions about functions: “What are books for?”,
- Asks for or tells about something with grammatically correct sentences
Understanding Language
- Responds to “put it beside” and “put it under”,
- responds to commands involving two actions:” Give me the cup and put the shoe on the floor”,
- responds to selecting correct item: e.g. hard vs. soft objects,
- responds to “walk fast” by increased pace/”slowly” by decreased pace
Music/Art/ Story Skills
- Knows phrases of song,
- listens to short simple stories,
- names own picture not always recognizable,
- draws head of person and one other part, manipulates clay materials
Self-Help Skills
- Pours well from pitcher,
- spreads substance with a knife, buttons/unbuttons large buttons, washes hands unassisted,
- cleans nose when reminded,
- uses toilet independently,
- follows classroom routine with minimum teacher assistance,
- knows own sex,
- knows own age,
- knows own last name
Fine Motor Skills
- Builds tower of 9 cubes,
- drives nails and pegs,
- copies circle,
- imitates cross
Your 4-5 year old preschool child
Gross Motor Skills
- Walks backward heel-toe,
- jumps forward 10 times without falling,
- walks up/down stairs,
- turns somersault
Social And Play Skills
- Plays and interacts with other children,
- engages in dramatic play that is closer to reality,
- plays dress-up,
- builds complex structures with blocks
Pre Academic Skills
- Points to and names 6 colors,
- points to and names 3 shapes,
- matches related common objects,
- demonstrates number concepts to 4-5
Oral Language Skills
- Asks “how” questions, answers verbally to “Hi” and “How are you?” ,
- tells about something using past and future tense,
- tells about something using conjunctions to string words and phrases together
Understanding Language
- Responds by showing penny and nickel and dime,
- responds to command involving three actions: “Give me the cup, put the shoe on the floor, and hold the pencil in your hand”
Music/Art/ Story Skills
- Sings entire songs,
- recites nursery rhymes, “reads” from pictures,
- recognizes story and retells simple facts,
- makes and names recognizable pictures, draws a person with 2-6 parts
Self-Help Skills
- Cuts food with knife,
- laces shoes,
- knows own city/street,
- follows instruction given to group
Fine Motor Skills
- Cut on a line continuously,
- copies cross,
- copies square,
- prints a few capital letters
Your 6-7 year old
Gross Motor Skills
- Runs lightly on toes,
- walks a balance beam,
- can cover 2 meters hopping,
- skips,
- jumps rope
Social And Play Skills
- Chooses own friend(s),
- plays simple table games,
- plays competitive games,
- engages in cooperative play with other children involving group decisions and role assignments and fair play,
- uses construction toys to make things like a house of logs
Pre Academic Skills
- Sorts objects on one dimension (size, color, shape),
- does 15-piece puzzle,
- copies block design,
- names some letters,
- names some numerals,
- names penny and nickel and dime and quarter,
- counts by rote to 10,
- can tell what number comes next
Oral Language Skills
- Uses plurals verb tenses and conjunctions,
- uses increasingly complex descriptions and conversations
Understanding Language
- Develops verbal skills as intellect and self awareness expands,
- expresses clearly likes and dislikes and plans and wants
Music/Art/ Story Skills
- Recognizes rhyme,
- acts out stories,
- draws a person with head and trunk and legs and arms and features,
- pastes and glues appropriately,
- models objects with clay
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